Unlike the previous orphanage, I quite enjoyed my time here. While we did have to help with the chores, we had plenty of free time to relax and play. One of the places we could relax was the backyard. It hadn’t been on the tour, and was only mentioned in passing, but it was quite large.

The backyard had more gardens, with places where one could hang out, relax, work out, or play games. There was no pool, other than inflatable ones I’d see in a storage room later, but there was a lawn, an area that could be used with various sport equipment like putting up tennis or volleyball nets with basketball hoops on either side, and a gazebo with seating.

Besides the flower gardens around the land, which were protected from the sports areas by fences, there was also a kitchen garden where the orphanage grew fruits and vegetables. A few fruit trees ringed the gardens, though since it was winter, I had no idea what type they were.

I saw some places that looked like they’d be really comfortable to read in during the warmer months. Until then, I’d just test out places in the library to find the best ones to enjoy.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get much time to relax before I got thrown into the grind that was school.

On the Monday after we’d arrived, I went to school with the rest of the kids on the bus, but new kids had stopped off at the office to be taken to our classes. I’d had no idea what was going on at first when the classroom I’d been led to was empty save for one person preparing the place for class. The room was full of computers.

I was confused for a moment before I recalled what the teachers had said about me back at my old school.

I’d been stuck in the Special Needs class due to someone’s failure to actually do their job, but the file the school had sent over included comments from the teachers about me not belonging there. I had needed some help due to not knowing the language, so I personally hadn’t complained (to others) about being in the class, but I’d outgrown its usefulness.

Because of those comments, as well as the fact that I in no way acted like I was mentally in need of special care, so I didn’t get put right into class immediately. Instead, I got tested.

The room I was led to was the computer lab, and had a connection to a testing system created by a prestigious university over in Viridian City. The computer teacher led me over to the computer she’d prepared for me and started explaining what I needed to do.

The test would consist of seven portions:
Reading
Writing
Math
History/Geography
Science
Pokémon Studies

Intelligence Quotient

Each section would be timed, and I was just supposed to keep answering until I couldn’t continue or time ran out.

Well muk. Do I actually do my best, or do I give up after a certain point. I knew next to nothing about this world’s History, but was likely far above others my age with what I knew. Though the science I knew of would not always apply as there were different physical and magical laws in effect.

I had brushed up on a lot of topics since joining human civilization, even going so far as to read a heavy freaking dictionary and multi-volume encyclopedia, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be touted as a genius.

I hadn’t really thought much about my goals in life beyond getting to this point and learning about the world. Did I want to become a scientist? A Business woman? Something creative like cooking, tailoring, architecture? Heck, I could pose as a writer, though I’m not sure how the books I’d read would sell over here.

An artist though, definitely not. My skills were just as bad now as before I’d died. Even my handwriting sucked, though I’d work on improving that.

The thing I was most conflicted about was if I wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer. Sure there were benefits for any pokémon captured, and if I chose that route I could restrict myself to only taking the willing with me… But I’m not sure how I felt about it to begin with, being a pokémon myself.

Suddenly I felt arms around me lifting me out of the chair and settling me on someone’s lap.

“Don’t worry, there’s nothing to be afraid of here. Please don’t cry.”

A tissue was used to dab at my eyes, where tears had been streaming from, even though I had no recollection of when I’d started crying. Why was I crying? Was I really so scared of being found out that my fear had made me lose control over my body, without me even knowing?

I didn’t know, but I couldn’t stop, and couldn’t talk. So I cried, and the teacher held me, gently stroking my hair and telling me it’d be all right.

When I was finally able to calm myself down enough, a while had passed. Stupid childish emotional instability, making me show my vulnerable side when being asked to take some simple tests.

“There now, feeling better?”

I nodded, looking up at her with reddened eyes.

“Can you tell me about it? I want to help you if I can, or I can take you to the counselor if you’d like.”

Muk. How do I do this? I’ll just give it my best shot.

“I’m scared. I don’t want to be hurt, not again.”

“Oh, honey. We won’t let you be hurt. Why would someone want to hurt a precious child like you?”

“Because I’m different. So I have to hide it.”

Sniffles for effect. Also to keep from dripping snot on myself.

“Just because you’re different doesn’t mean you should hide. I’ll help you if you ever need me to. So will the other teachers here. Can you trust us?”

“You promise?”

Cue the teary puppy dog eyes.

“I promise. Are you ready to take the tests?” I nodded and she put me back into the seat. “Do your best, and if you need any help, I’m here for you.”

I nodded, then turned to face the computer. Screw hiding. If I ran into any problems, I’d just teleport away and live as a pokémon until I could come up with a new identity. My power had been stagnating since the masquerade began, and that annoyed me with how much effort I’d put in till now.

I started the first test.

---

At the end of the day, I was reunited with the other kids. I’d gotten through all of the tests, though just barely since I’d wasted a lot of time having a nervous breakdown. I’d been stopped for lunch as well as to take a couple breaks, but had otherwise been answering question after question all day long.

The tests had started with basic questions, but had ramped up the difficulty as more were answered. As I’d thought, history was the only one to give me problems, though since the science differed, I’m sure some of those were incorrect.

I had held nothing back.

Oh muk, I may have just screwed myself over. Why did I do that?!

I started freaking out again, and locked myself away in my room and hid in my blankets. However my panic attack was interrupted almost before it really set in.

“Rynn? What’s wrong?”

I’d forgotten about my roommate. It seemed she was in here as well, but I hadn’t noticed in my condition. I hope she hadn’t seen too much. I’d basically flown through the door and into my bed, not touching the floor, and shutting and locking the door with TK.

When I didn’t answer her she came over and climbed up with me. I curled tighter.

“Come on out. Talk to me. Maybe I can help you.”

I shook my head. I’d started tearing up again. Maybe I should just give up on being human. But then what did I go through those months of torment for?

The covers were peeled off of me, exposing me to Rachel, but only partially, and not my head. I didn’t let her pull them all off. I didn’t want another person to see my tear streaked visage. One was enough for today.

She tried in vain for several minutes before stopping. She might be twice my age, but I was stronger, even if I didn’t look it and usually pretended to be rather weak. I thought she’d given up and would leave me alone, but instead she lay down next to me and hugged my trembling body to her.

“You’re not the only one here who’s afraid. We’ve all felt it. We don’t have the same fears, but none of us would be here if we didn’t have some bad history behind us. We can only push on and go forward.”

I didn’t respond, but that didn’t stop her. She told me her story.

Her father was a trainer, but he’d gotten killed when an aggressive high-level pokémon had shown up in a lower level area and wreaked havoc. She’d been there with him, having a picnic in what should have been a safe zone, surrounded by her father’s pokémon. They were overpowered for the area themselves, but that is why he’d felt safe taking his only family out there.

It had been a miracle she’d survived, having been grabbed and carried off by one of her father’s companions, but not before the pokémon had been wounded. They’d gotten to safety, but the pokémon had lost too much blood and died shortly after Rachel had been taken away. None of the others had survived.

For a long time, she’d been terrified of pokémon, any of them, even the tamest, more harmless ones would cause her to relive that nightmare. Eventually though, she’d gotten help and was able to overcome her fears, at least a little bit, being reminded of all the good times she’d had playing with her father’s as a child.

“I still get scared, but I don’t let it control me, not if I can help it.”

I’d loosened my grip on the blanket after she’d been talking a while, and at this point she yanked it away from me.

“There you are. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but just know you’ve got a friend in me.”

I nodded, still not feeling up to talking, then pulled the covers back over me. That made her laugh.

“Well, go ahead and be like that for a while, but don’t stay too long. Miss Amanda’s making pizza tonight and it’s amazing. Plus, you can choose your own toppings if you help her with it.”

I peeked out from under the covers.

“Really?”

“Yup! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to help out in a bit. Want to come with me?”

She held out her hand to me. I took it.

I couldn’t not take it. Pizza was my favorite food. Always had been. It had been a tradition in my family to have it on Saturday nights. Growing up my mom had made them most of the time, and we’d help. Sadly, as we’d grown up, it had been changed. First the homemade ones were replaced by delivery but we still gathered together, but then it eventually stopped altogether.

I might have problems in the future, but for now, I’d try to live the best life I could.